Edmund b



PATENTED FEB. 16, 1904 E. B. POWERS..

SAFETY DEVICE FOR RAILWAY SERVICE.

APPLIOATIOH FILED JUNE 6,1903.

no menu.

. UNITED STATES Patented February 16, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

EDMUND B. POWERS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOHN J. HAYES, OF-NEW YORK, N..Y.

SAFETY' DEVl C E FOR RAILWAY SERVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 752,101, dated February 16, 1904. Application filed Junefi, 1903. Serial No. 160,141. (Holman To all whom-it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDMUND B. PowERs, a

citizen of the United States, residing in the city of New York, borough of Brooklyn, and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Safety Devices for Railway Service, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to means for automatically applying the brakes on railway-trains through mechanism actuated by contact with track-signals; and the object of the invention is to provide inexpensive and eificient means whereby the air-brakes may be applied and the train stopped when through carelessness or by accident the engine-driver passes a dangersignal.

The invention consists in certain details of construction and arrangements of parts by which the above object is attained, to be hereiuafter described.

The accompanying drawingsform a part of this specification and show what I consider the best means of carrying out the invention.

Figure 1 is an elevation, partly in transverse section, showing the interior of a locomotivecab equipped with my invention and seen from the rear and also showing one of the masts or standards carrying the track-signals from which motion is communicated to thebrake-operating mechanism. Certain details of the locomotive equipment not specifically related to the invention are omitted. Fig. 2 is a corresponding vertical section through a portion of the cab, showing the invention in side elevation. a larger scale and show portions detached. Fig. 3 is a rear elevation corresponding to a portion of Fig; 1, showing the engineers brake-valve and immediately adjacent parts.

Fig. 4 is a corresponding plan view; and Fig. 5 is a section, partly in elevation, of the cylinder for automatically moving the brake-valve v r-..,

Similar letters of referenceindicate the same parts in all the figures.

A is the boiler of a locomotive, which may .The remaining figures are on:

be of any ordinary or approved type, and A is the usual cab over the rear portion.

The controlling, indicating, and operating equipments for the locomotive are not'represented, but may be understood to be of the usual construction.

Transversely of the cab. preferably above the roof, extends a shaft B, mounted in supports or bearings B, in which it isfree to turn. The overhung ends of the shaft are provided with collars B B serving to prevent axial movement, one of which, B carries an adjustable arm B at a right angle to the shaft, held at the desired elevation'by the set-screw B" and standingnormally in a vertical position near the edge of the roof, adapted when its free end contacts with an obstruction in its path to be deflected out of the vertical and correspondingly partially rotate the shaft B. As an obstruction or contact-piece in the path of the arm I prefer to use a device analogous to a semaphore-signal and consisting of avertendant through the medium of any suitable mechanism either by hand or otherwise The vane is arranged to hang idly in a pocket in .the standard when not required to be set for service and when so set extendsacross the line of the track in the path of the arm B*. On the shaft B is a finger B, adapted to swing through an arc in unison with the arm B and set to produce an upward movement of its free {end when the arm is depressed by contact with the vane in a forward movement of the locomotive and to descend idly through a slot provided in the roof of the cab when the arm is struck in temporarily running backward.

Attached to the free end of the finger is a chain G connected at the lower end to the actuating arm or lever of a cock G adapted when turned by an upward movement of the finger B? to apply the air-brakes to the train.

B is an arm extending through a slot in the roof and serving, with the oppositely-extending tensile springs B B attached to the roof, to yieldingly maintain the arm 13* in the upright position. i i

H is the engineers brake-valve, located in the cab and having a hand-lever H, by which it is operated. On the same spindle immediately above the hand-lever is loosely mounted a circular disk J, having peripheral stops J J formed by cutting away a portion, as at j, to produce a long peripheral notch, the radial ends of which constitute the stops, andalso having a circumferential groove formed in the remaining portion of the periphery. The notch receives a pin or stud H on the upper face of the hand-lever, and the stops J J 2 are so separated as to allow the lever to be moved unobstructedly through the are required in operating the brake; but the stop J will engage the pin H and carry it and the handlever to the emergency-stop position by the rotation of the disk J, and thus apply the brake. This movement is produced by a piston M, having a cup-leather M, received in a fixed cylinder M arranged with its axial line tangential to the periphery of the disk and equipped with a head and stuffing-box M through which extends a piston-rod M, to the end of which is attached one end of a' chain M or other flexible connection, lying in the groove j, and having its other end fastened to the disk. Air under pressure is led by a branch pipe G to the cylinder M? and enters between the cup-leather and head.- The pipe G is preferably connected to the main-reservoir pipe N, leading from the main reservoir (not shown) to the engineers brake-valve, as usual, and is controlled by the cock G and arm G, above referred to.

When the semaphore-vane L is set at danger and the engineer fails for any reason to heed the signal, the arm B will strike the vane, and the partial revolution of the shaft B thus caused is communicated through the finger B and chain G to the cock G and moves the latter in the direction to admit air under pressure to the cylinder M The air entering between the piston and head induces a strong pull on the piston-rod and chain and causes the disk J to make a partial revolution,

the stop J picking up the pin I-I wherever it may be located in its arc and forcing it and its hand-lever to the emergency position, at which the lever brings up againstthe usual stop and through the ports and passages in the engineers brake-valve reduces the pressure in the train-pipe O and applies the brakes throughout the train, as usual in an emergency stop.

M is a helical spring exerting a slight thrusting force behind the piston M suflicient to overcome the friction tending to return it to the original position, and M is a petcock through which the pressure in the cylinder M may be allowed to escape. When the pressure has been thus relieved after closing the cock G the first movement of the hand-leverH to the release position will by the engagement of the pin H against the stop J the emergency application and effect the stop less violently. The effort, however, will be sufficient to cause him to recognize the fact of imminent danger and to bring his train to a standstill as quickly as practicable.

In practice the petcock M will be set-to maintain a slight opening through which any leakage of air under pressure past the cock Gr may escape, and thus avoid any liability to apply the brakes or interfere with the management of the engineers brave-valve, and also to allow the pressure in the cylinder to rapidly diminish after the cock Gr has been closed by the engineer to cut off further admission of air after an automatic application of the brakes, so that the hand-lever and other parts may be returned to the release and their original positions with little resistance.

It will be noted that but little alteration in the air equipment is necessary in installing my invention on locomotives already in service. The addition of the branch pipe and cylinder and suitably supporting the latter are the main features of the change; but these can be easily made and the invention applied to any type of locomotive equipped with the usual air-brake system.

Although I have described the cylinder as receiving air directly from the convenientlylocated main-reservoir pipe, it will be understood that the connection may be made to any source of pressure, either an independent pressure-tank or to the train-pipe, and an independent valve for reducing the pressure in the train-pipe may be installed instead of applying the invention directly to the engineers brake-valve. I prefer the arrangement shown because of its simplicity and convenience.

I claim 1. The combination with a locomotive-cab of a shaft mounted therein, an arm secured to said shaft and adaptedto partially rotate the latter by the deflection of said arm in contacting with an obstruction in its path, an airneers air-brake valve located in said cab and having a hand-lever for operating it, mechanism actuated by air-pressure for engaging said hand-lever and moving it to apply the brakes, a cock controlling the admission of air-pressure to said mechanism, and connec tions from said shaft to said cock, whereby the partial rotation of said shaft automatically applies the brakes.

3. In an apparatus of the character set forth, a vane mounted adjacent to the track and extending transversely of the line of said track, in combination with a shaft mounted in the cab of a locomotive, an arm on said shaft ar-' ranged to strike. said vane and be deflected thereby and partially rotate said shaft, an air-brake valve located in said cab, mechanism actuated by air-pressure for moving said valve to apply the brakes, a cock controlling the admission of air to said mechanism, and connections from said shaft to said cock, whereby the contact of said arm and vane automatically applies the brakes.

4:. In an apparatus of the character setforth, an engineers brake-valve located in the locomotive-cab and having an operating handlever and spindle, a pin on said lever, a disk mounted on said spindle and free to rotate thereon and having a stop adapted to engage said pin when said disk is moved in one direction, a cylinder having a piston connected to said disk to partially rotate the latter. by the admission of pressure to said cylinder, a cock controlling such admission, a shaft carried by said cab and having an arm adapted to be deflected by striking an obstruction in its path and partially rotate said shaft, and connections from said shaft to said cock, whereby I the deflection of said arm automatically moves said hand-lever to apply the brakes.

5. An engineers brake-valve having an operating hand-lever and spindle, a main-reservoir pipe bringing air under pressure to said valve, a pin on said lever, a disk mounted on said spindle and free to rotate thereon, separated peripheral stops on said disk adapted to engage said pin while permitting said lever to swing unobstructedly through its arc, a cylinder having a piston, a flexible connection from said piston to and partially around said disk, a branch pipe connecting said main-reservoir pipe and cylinder, a cock controlling said branch pipe, and mechanism connected to said cock and actuated by contact with a track-signal, whereby such contact induces the admission of air under pressure to said cylinder and moves said lever to apply the brakes.

6. An engineers brake-valve having an operating hand-lever and spindle, a main-reservoir pipe bringing air under pressure to said valve, a pin on said lever, a disk mounted on said spindle and free to rotate thereon, separated peripheral stops on said disk adapt-v ed to engage said pin while permitting said lever to swing unobstructedly through its arc, a cylinder having a piston, a flexible connection from said piston to and partially around said disk, a branch pipe connecting said main-reservoir pipe and cylinder, a cock controlling said branch pipe, in combination with a locomotive-cab, avane-mounted adjacent to the track, a shaft extending transversely of said cab, an arm on said shaft arranged to contact with said vane and be deflected thereby and partially rotate said shaft, a finger on said shaft, and a connection from said finger to an operating-lever for said cock, whereby such contact induces the admission of air under pressure to said cylinder and applies the brakes.

In testimony that I claim the invention above set forth I afl'iX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDMUND B. POWERS. Witnesses:

C ARLES R. SEARLE, M. E. Genoa 

